Town defender Jacob Greaves says securing promotion back to the Premier League against Southampton and avoiding any final day drama would be the ‘dream scenario’.

Due to a significantly superior goal difference over Millwall, victory over the Saints on Tuesday evening would all but mathematically ensure the Blues finish second and book an instant return to the top flight.

Kieran McKenna’s side head to the south coast knowing that three points in their final two fixtures would be enough to see them over the line, with Town having a second chance at completing the job when Queens Park Rangers visit Portman Road on Saturday.

Should the result go against the Blues at St Mary’s, there is the prospect of four sides all within one point of each other heading into the final game of the regular season this weekend.

While Greaves knows the situation is firmly in Town’s hands regardless, he admits that beating Southampton and avoiding that situation would be the most preferable.

“It would be the dream scenario,” he said. “We know that it’s going to be a tough test on Tuesday. I watched them the other day against Man City and they probably went toe-to-toe with them and it looked like an evenly matched game, so we know it’s going to be difficult.

“It’s always nice sometimes watching the late drama, but probably not when you’re going to be a part of it. There’s a job to do, we’ve got to keep full focus on that and do what we’ve been doing all season.

“We’ve been good at home so if it comes to that, it comes to that. But hopefully we can win on Tuesday night and make it a little bit easier for ourselves.

“It’s probably going to be gung-ho in terms of both teams going for the win. We’re away at a good place so we know we’re going to have to be good with our defensive discipline and we’re going to have to execute a game plan.

“You watch them the other night and they’re a good team, but this season we’ve been really good against the more footballing teams away from home, the way that we can press and the way that we can play. Maybe that will suit us, maybe it won’t, we’ll have to see.

“They’ve got a lot of good players, but so do we, and it’s going to be a really exciting game. I played for Hull against Southampton around this time when I was last in the Championship and it was a really good game. We won that one, so hopefully it can be a similar evening.”

Southampton are the form side in the division and are unbeaten in each of their last 17 Championship matches to fly up the table but must beat the Blues to keep their hopes of automatic promotion alive.

Tonda Eckert’s side have not tasted defeat in the league since January, and only champions Coventry City have scored more goals than the Saints this term.

Despite their form and potency in front of goal, Greaves says that Town will not approach the game any differently to usual.

“As we’ve probably done all season,” he said. “Watch them, see what they’re about, but you probably know a lot of their players anyway from playing against them and know they are top players.

“We know that we’ve got to be on our game, and see it as an opportunity that we can relish going up against one of the best attacks in the league.

“We’ve played against Coventry twice and we haven’t conceded against them, so hopefully we can use that as an example to go and do that on Tuesday. We know it’s going to be a difficult task and we’re going to have to be on it.

“They’re a completely different outfit to what Coventry were. We’ll watch them and see what they’re about, but we know we can deliver a game plan. We know that we’ve got to be on it no matter what now.

“It’s the part of the season where we have to be picking up wins, so we’re going to go there and try and win the game. We know they’re a good outfit but so are we, so let’s see who can come out on top.”

Following a slow start to the season, Town have been playing catch-up to the likes of Middlesbrough and have spent the vast majority of the campaign outside the division’s top two places.

Now that they are in them as the finish line comes into view, the Blues are in no mood to relinquish their position in the table ahead of the final few days of the season.

Greaves said: “I don’t think there’s been a mentality shift. When it comes to the last three or four games and you look at the position that we’re in, obviously we’ve had a few games in hand and have managed to do well in the Charlton one.

“There’s been no mentality shift, every game this season has been just as important. You could probably say that looking at the first game that we had compared to the last game, I think that’s just the nature in terms of it becoming more demanding. There’s more on the line the later the season gets to deliver performances and get three points, and we know what we’re all fighting for.

“We have been chasing a little bit, but we always knew that we’ve been in a good position. It’s important to peak at the right time. You look at Southampton who have probably peaked at the right time with the run that they’ve been on.

“We’ve been going about our business quietly and picked up a lot of points, which we know we needed to do and now we’re in a healthy position.

“There’s obviously a balance between being fired up and being calm and relaxed. Off the pitch, I’m really calm and relaxed, but when we come to the stadium we know it’s game time.

“As soon as that music goes on, you’re focused in, ready to go, and you know you’ve got to try and deliver a performance and we know what’s at stake. The relaxed style will still be with me, but I will be fired up to try and get the win.”

Last week, manager McKenna said he has not told the players whether they should watch the Blues’ promotion rivals, rather stressing not to put any emotional energy into it.

Greaves admits he and some of his fellow teammates have watched a lot of Championship action on television over the last few weeks.

“The game before we played Charlton, me, Jack [Clarke] and Dan [Neil] had three screens on in our room set up,” he revealed. “I don’t mind watching the games, to be honest. It doesn’t make a difference if I’m watching or not.

“I enjoy watching footy and I enjoy watching this league. We’ve watched most games anyway, to be honest, so that was quite fun.

“This manager has been really good at it throughout the season, keeping us level-headed. There’s not been an emphasis on it but we all know our goal.

“As a group of players, that’s obvious from the start of the season. It’s keeping rounded, taking in the details going into the game, and then trying to deliver a performance which we’ve done a lot of the time this season.”

While Greaves joined Town ahead of their first season back in the Premier League in 2024, the defender is not inexperienced when it comes to winning promotion.

The 25-year-old was a key member of boyhood club Hull City’s title-winning season in League One to earn them a spot in the Championship in his breakthrough season at the Tigers.

“It was one of the best feelings I’ve had in my footballing career,” he said. “Knowing that after a long season, you’ve got something for it and a successful one. I’m going to try and use everything I’ve got from that season, albeit a completely different league.

“There’s things you can take from that League One season that I can take into the remaining two games. It’s just about trying to win games, it’s as simple as that and that’s what we’ll all be dying to do.”

Asked about the possibility of Hull reaching the play-offs, he added: “That would probably be the dream scenario. They’ve got an important game against Norwich on Saturday. With Wrexham losing, it opens it up a little bit for them, so let’s see.”

Photo: TWTD